


You've Only Just Begun to Shine

by dapatty, miss_marina95



Category: Bandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Audio Format: M4B, Audio Format: MP3, Audio Format: Streaming, Fluff, Gen, Pie, Podfic & Podficced Works, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-10 04:36:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2011164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dapatty/pseuds/dapatty, https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_marina95/pseuds/miss_marina95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Allison decided on college at the other side of the country. She figured on doing her coursework and maybe making a friend or two. She didn’t expect to find a new family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You've Only Just Begun to Shine

**Author's Note:**

> Notes from the author: This was SUCH A PLEASURE to write. Everything about the performance is pitch perfect and SO HAPPY MAKING like an auditory hug for my ears. I was fond of Miss's work before and was <3_______<3 for the entire duration of hearing this for the first time. So, thank you Jess for being so down for awesome ladies and indulging me while I wrote this silly au full of feelings and making it live. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 
> 
> Notes from the podficcer: Okay, I also have reader's notes at the end of the podfic, so I'll keep this as short as I can. I had such a great time this Pod Together, with two super amazing groups. So, thanks to mods for running such an awesome challenge, and special love for dapatty for writting me awesome ladies who rock <3333

Coverart by dapatty  
 **Download Links:** [mp3 (25MB)](http://miss-marina95.parakaproductions.com/mp3/%5bMulti%5d%20You%27ve%20Only%20Just%20Begun%20to%20Shine.mp3) |[m4b (15MB)](http://miss-marina95.parakaproductions.com/m4b/%5bMulti%5d%20You%27ve%20Only%20Just%20Begun%20to%20Shine.m4b)  


Allison went to Rutgers for college. She still wasn’t completely sure if her dad was actually okay with her going to college in Jersey. He’d made noise about Northeastern winters and fretted about her having a warm enough jacket and didn’t she want to go to some college in the South or maybe France or maybe the South of France? 

But her father understood when she told him that she needed to get some perspective from the pack (Scott) and family matters (taking up the mantel as the official matriarch of the Argent Clan).

So she expected to be cold in the winter and a little lonely to start. She expected to meet a couple friends, but they wouldn’t replace her best friend Lydia and Erica or even Malia, especially not Stiles and his willingness to talk her through statistics via Skype while at Northwestern. 

What Allison hadn’t planned for, in the slightest, was to end up with friends as dear to her as the ones she left in California. She also didn’t expect to be courted by S.H.I.E.L.D., but that was college for you.

*****

“Oh shitballs! I’m so sorry! I almost killed you with my boobs,” the young woman said, hand reaching out to steady Allison. Years of training had kept her from dropping her bag and her binders. Allison even managed to catch the young woman’s folder.

“Damn girl, are you a ninja? Didn’t even drop a paper. I am in _awe_ ,” the woman carried on, grinning at her and adjusting her glasses. Allison couldn’t help but notice, she did have nice boobs. “Seriously, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine. I should have been paying more attention to my surroundings,” Allison said, giving a smile. She was completely charmed by this girl. “If only I were a ninja, we wouldn’t have collided.” 

“Your snazzy black on black ensem totally had me fooled, not to mention the reflexes. Hey, I’m Darcy,” the woman, Darcy, reached out her hand, taking the folder and tucking it under her arm then reaching out for a handshake. “Darcy Lewis.”

“Allison Argent,” Ally said. “Do you go here? Or are you just wandering the wilds of the quad and running into freshmen?”

“Dude, I wish this was a social call and I was just chillin’ and looking for hot ladies to spend my company with, but no. I’m Dr. Foster’s assistant and I think I might actually be lost. Because I thought science was in this direction but it could the be the other,” Darcy frowned.

“Science was actually where I was headed,” Allison said. “You could tag along and I can at least get you to one of the buildings you might have been heading to?”

“Ninja skills _and_ a sense of direction! How’d I get so lucky?” Darcy grinned. “I’ll totally take you to coffee after this. I know this excellent place and Jane will get all cranky if she doesn’t get her late afternoon fix, so you’d only be doing me a favor by agreeing to go for coffee. You are into coffee, right?”

“I’m into coffee. I hear that college students drink it to survive,” Ally said conspiratorially and started walking in the direction of the science complex with Darcy tagging along. 

“That and pie,” Darcy said, bumping shoulders with Allison. “This coffee place is also a bakery and there’s AMAZING baked goods. Like unreal. I think Jamia is secretly a witch of the kitchen. She knits too. I would marry her but her and Frank are have a storybook kind of love that is too precious for words.” 

“It sounds amazing,” Allison smiled and hoped that she didn’t actually have to deal with any witchy stuff. She promised herself that she would only deal with supernatural problems while at school if anyone were getting hurt. So if Jamia, turned out to be a witch, she’d have to openly hex someone who didn’t deserve it if the pie and coffee were good. Allison hadn’t had any good pie since the Thanksgiving previous when Derek, of all people, baked four each even better than the last. 

“It is amazing,” Darcy assured. “Hey, this is totally where I’m supposed to be. Rad.”

“Enjoy your science,” Allison said, giving her a smile. 

“That I will. Thank you for the escort m’lady,” Darcy made a show of doing an elaborate courtsey. “When’s your class over?”

“An hour,” Ally answered.

“Then I will see you in one hour’s time and we will have coffee and pie, new bestie!” Darcy saluted and sauntered off down the hall.

Allison smiled to herself and rolled her eyes. It was nice to make new friends, but keeping them was hard. She’d probably scare Darcy off with her knife collection or something. 

Sighing, she headed off to her Bio 101 lecture.

******

“Anyway, that’s when I said to Clint, ‘You break it, you bought it.’ And didn’t I tell you how amazing this place is?” Darcy finished as Allison had stopped in the door to take a moment to inhale. The smell of coffee along with a cinnamon, spiced cake sweetness was divine.

“Clint sounds like quite the trickster and I’ll think I need one of everything,” Allison agreed, continuing into the shoppe. 

“Clint is a menace to society who wears purple far too well,” Darcy said. “Right, coffee and pie. On my tab. Or maybe crepes. Really, just pick anything. There is nothing that isn’t tasty here.”

Allison admired a ridiculous array of baked goods through the display glass. “Why are choices.”

“Hi there! Can I help you?” a very tattooed, attractive dude asked on the other side of the display.

“Hi Frankie!” Darcy greeted. “What do you recommend for freshman that I nearly killed by running into her this morning?”

“Only you’d nearly mow someone down and make it up to them in baked goods,” Frank said, smirking.

“Darcy you should be more careful with your boobs,” a woman chided, placing a fresh pecan pie in the case. She had a streak of flour in her hair and a warm smile. 

“Jamia! Not you too,” Darcy moaned, making a show of flapping her hands dramatically. “Allison, ignore them. They’re married and ridiculous and bake delicious things. Well Jamia does. Frank is mostly only allowed to plate things and sell things to people. Cooking fires happen around him. It’s like a thing.”

“Hey! I’m like way better!” Frank protested, looking pleased with himself.

“Babe, you could still burn water,” Jamia patted his cheek affectionately. He turned his head and kissed her palm. “It’s like your superpower.”

“It’s part of my immense charm,” Frank decided and Jamia rolled her eyes looking so fond. Allison was kind of over the moon about them already.

“So, Allison, what will you be trying today?” Jamia asked.

“It all looks really great. I don’t know,” Allison studied the display again. “What would you recommend?”

“What are you having to drink?” Jamia asked, narrowing her eyes.

“A cafe mocha,” Allison said and couldn’t shake the feeling that Jamia was deciding more about her than just her dessert choices. It could just be a New Jersey thing, though.

“Then you’ll need a slice of Bavarian cream,” Jamia answered after a brief moment of thought, looking decidedly happy with Allison.

“That’s my favorite,” Allison said, surprised. Okay, maybe Jamia was actually a witch. She’s encountered weirder things. Jamia gave her a pleased smile.

“Slice of Bavarian coming right up,” Jamia went to get a plate and start the espresso for the mocha. “Darcy, I’m assuming you want the usual.”

“Yes please,” Darcy chirped, placing $20 on the counter and then making grabby hands at the plates Jamia reached her.

“Patience,” Jamia chided, brown eyes sparkling.

“Before pie? Never,” Darcy grinned. Allison giggled and they went to claim a table.

*****

After that, Allison made a point to swing by at least once, but usually twice, a week as the semester carried on. She went from not really having any friends or talking to anyone the first month to Jamia and Frank taking her into their family, almost like one of their many dogs. Darcy came over to escape science and watch mindless tv and movies in her room on the weekends.

Still, time spent at the Iero’s shoppe was her favorite. When she didn’t occasionally help dice and prepare fruit for the pies when Jamia was short-handed, she did her schoolwork at a table in the corner looking out into the shoppe. Their three children, who came by more often than not after school, were pretty sure Allison was some sort of fairytale princess (Cherry and Lily because of her hair and Miles because of her dimples and how Ally was far more patient at dealing with homework problems than either of their parents. After helping a werecoyote girl who’d been out of school for 6 years deal with high school academia, grade school math and science were small potatoes.). The kids had even talked her into going to the fall carnival at their school.

“You know you don’t actually have to go to that, right?” Jamia asked, sliding into a seat across from Allison and sitting a glass of orange juice on the table. Allison looked up from her Bio homework and smiled. “It’s just gonna be silly games and fried food and a lot of children hyped up on sugar running around. There’s supposed to be pumpkin carving though.”

“It’s no trouble,” Allison said. “It’d be nice to do something different for an evening that isn’t take a run or studying. Pumpkin carving is just a bonus. Besides, I’ve been promised the winning of prizes in varying fair games. Like ‘the one with the cups and baseball’ according to Miles.”

“I just don’t want you to feel like you have to. I will still ply you with coffee and pastries without judgement,” Jamia said. “Besides, you never bring any boys around or girls that aren’t Darcy. Are our elite Jersey collegiates not good enough for you? Or do you hate your roommate? Do we need to kill your roomie for being mean to you? We know people. No one should be mean to you. My kids think cartoon birds braid your hair.”

“No, I have a single,” Allison said, stopping Jamia before she could go all Jersey tough and defensive over imagined grievances. It was nice to know that they cared so much for her. 

“How’d you swing that, freshman?” Jamia raised an impressed eyebrow. “My first college roomie smoked even more pot than Frank did at the end of high school, which was actually kind of impressive now that I think about it.”

“I have nightmares and my dad called in a favor,” Allison glossed over. Even two years removed from the clusterfuck that was dealing with the Nementon and the entirety of senior year, sleep was hard to come by. Besides, she has a lot of weaponry than normal college students. 

“Anyway,” Allison said, giving a shrug, “I’m not really in the market for a boyfriend. I just got out of a year long relationship. Which was fine. My dad didn’t really approve of the guy. Or the guy before that. And you know how I moved around a lot as a kid? Making friends is hard when you’re not gonna be gone in a semester and I’m just getting my footing. You don’t have to worry about me.” She squeezed Jamia’s hand. She made herself stop speaking and wondered if Stiles felt like this, this nervous churning of words, all the time.

“You’re use to being strong for people, aren’t you?” Jamia asked, her face open, almost a touch sad. “And that’s fine.” She caught Allison’s eyes and laced their fingers together before Allison could protest. 

Jamia looked so painfully earnest and continued. “But just know that you don’t have to be strong around us all the time, okay? You can admit weakness and hide in your room away from my adorable, albeit clingy, children and do your coursework. We’re your friends. We’re keeping you. You just gotta let us help you when you need it or get the fuck away from you if you need to breathe, okay? You’re not gonna scare us off by telling us no.”

Allison blinked back tears. Jamia was just so fierce and protective, her and Frank both were. She didn’t quite know how she’d won them over so thoroughly and hoped like hell her knowing them didn’t put them in the crosshairs of anything from her past. She looked down at the formica and her orange juice.

“I’ll try my best not to disappoint you,” Allison spoke, more to the table than Jamia.

“And we’ll still love you if you do.” Jamia said, lifting Allison’s chin with her other hand. “And we’ll probably only be disappointed if you get a boyfriend or girlfriend that we don’t get to size them up properly and threaten them a little for good measure.”

Allison laughed and rolled her eyes. “Of course.”

“Hey, we’re boring and married and have to kick our kicks somewhere, sweetheart,” Jamia smirked. “Now, do you need a ride to the fair?”

“That would be wonderful,” Ally agreed. “ _Thank you._ ” Allison was grateful for so much more than a ride and hoped Jamia got it.

“ _Anytime_ ,” Jamia said with just as much significance.

***

Allison shouldn’t have gone to the fair. Or well, she shouldn’t have also invited Darcy to tag along. But mainly, she should learn how to say no to adorable seven year olds who asked her to try the archery game. She especially knew better than to be goaded into shit by middle-aged men talking trash about girls not being able to do something, even with the Iero’s glaring daggers at the shithead running the archery game.

Her mother would have been so disappointed and told her to have more grace than that. Or maybe her mother would have wanted her to punch the guy in the face.

Instead of grace or violence, Allison landed no less than fifteen bullseyes in a row, much to the chagrin of said middle-aged douche-canoe and the cheering of the Iero Clan and the quiet appreciation of Darcy who all waited to express their delight in her until they got back to the parking lot. She won three, ridiculously sized, stuffed animals that she gave to each of the kids, much to their glee.

“Girl, you should be doing something with those skills,” Darcy said giving her a fistbump.

“Yeah, like the Olympics. You would look so badass with a gold medal or like three,” Frank said.

“I’m thinking I should call Clint and Phil because why get gold medals when you could be saving the world,” Jamia countered and Frank nodded approvingly.

“I _told_ you that she was a Disney princess,” Miles said, beaming and his sisters nodded with reverence.

“Wait, Clint and Phil?” Darcy asked. “I _know_ a Clint and Phil. And you can’t recruit her to S.H.I.E.L.D. because _I_ was going to first. I admit to getting distracted by her amazing everything including movie taste and popcorn preparation, but I was _totally_ going to get on that.”

“The world has suddenly become such a small place,” Frank said, nodding to himself. 

Allison wanted to throw-up. Not only did she show-off when she’d promised her dad she wouldn’t--promised him that she’d stay under the radar--but she’d gotten the attention of people who were quite possibly spies. She clenched her hands into fists to stop them from shaking.

“Hey, Ally,” Jamia gently touched her arm. “Are you okay? We’re just talking out loud. We don’t mean to scare you and we won’t call anyone. It’s just not everyday we find out that our friend is actually Merida without the hair. You just have more options than you had before. That’s all. We can talk about it way later. Like when you’re done with school or have a quarter-life crisis.”

“Actually, I’m meant to take over as head of the Argent Clan of Hunters after I’m done with my degree and becoming some sort of spy would probably be a conflict,” Allison blurted and mentally kicked herself.

“Dude, I didn’t see that coming,” Frank said. “Wait hunters of what?”

“Werewolves, but I’m changing that. We have a new code. We protect those who can’t protect themselves,” Allison answered.

“I’m hoping you only mean bad werewolves by that, because I know some werewolves and would not appreciate if they were hunted,” Frank said, calmly, so calmly that it was almost a threat.

“Uncle Gee and Uncle Mikey can’t help that their werewolves,” Cherry said, concern between her eyebrows. 

“And they’ve never hurt anybody,” Lily agreed.

“Then I wouldn’t hurt them,” Allison reassured, squatting down to look them in the eyes. The kids all nodded solemnly at her in return. 

“Good,” Jamia clapped his hands. “So I’m guessing this is a conversation where we all have a lot of questions for each other and I’m sure that would be something better discussed at home and not in public. Or at least where there can be hot cocoa, cuz I’m freezing my tits off.”

“Mom said tits,” Miles giggled and Frank giggled too. 

“So we can talk tonight or drive you home?” Frank asked Allison.

“No pressure on any count,” Darcy reassured. 

“Talking tonight would be better and I’ll understand if you never want to see me again when your done,” Allison agreed. 

“Please, if we can deal with space aliens fucking up New York and the staggering amount of supernatural peeps we know, anything you throw at us won’t even make us blink babe,” Jamia gave Allison’s hand a squeeze.

Later that night after the kids had been put in bed with another one of Allison’s stories--this one about Jackson being a dragon instead of a homicidal lizard monster--she sat straight on the ottoman in the Iero’s living room and told Jamia, Frank, and Darcy all about high school, what her Aunt did, and how Gerard manipulated her. She told them about all of her mistakes, failings that nearly got her and her friends killed and evil foxes and werewolves that she has loved. She told them everything. 

And even after all that, once she was done, they tackled her onto the couch and gave her a stupidly tight hug all at once, their reassurances that it didn’t matter, that she was brave for telling them, that they were glad she’s here with them. 

For the first time in a long time, she let herself really cry and clinged to them. They held her up and kept her together, then tucked her in on their couch with three dogs snuggling with her keeping watch.

*****

A little over a month later, Allison braved the near blizzard-like conditions in the hat and scarf Jamia knitted for her and went to the Iero’s shop. After warming up with a mug of hot cocoa and trying her very best not to feel sorry for herself, Jamia slid into the bench seat beside Allison, throwing an arm over her shoulders.

“Hey brown-eyed girl, why so sad?” Jamia asked giving Allison a squeeze. “Did your flight get cancelled?”

“Yeah,” Allison schooled her face. She wouldn’t cry, even though it was safe to cry around Jamia. Jamia could be quiet and rub your back if you needed to cry and then threaten to kick whatever’s ass that was making you cry. “My dad’s flight got cancelled too. So he’s stuck in France. We’ve just decided to try to get together for Christmas. No big deal.”

“But it’s Thanksgiving. It’s totally a big deal. If just because of pie,” Jamia said. “My buddy Dewees, or well, Frank’s bestie Dewees who I share culinary secrets with on occasion. You know Dewees? That dude that came in in a chicken suit that one time? Yeah him. He’s bringing his famous pecan pie as well as chocolate pie, which is even more divine, _even better_ than my chocolate pie and mine’s pretty fucking delicious.”

“Wait, are you inviting me over? You don’t have to. I wouldn’t want to intrude on family time,” Allison said. “I’ll just work on coursework and catch up on sleep.”

“You would not be intruding. You are family. We’ve decided to keep you and not just for your amazingly accurate dart game. Cherry and Lily think you have the greatest werewolf and princess stories of all time and Miles thinks you are actually a Disney princess. You’re just really fucking kind and I won’t stand for you just staying in your dorm room over the weekend when you could be eating too much pie at my house, okay?” Jamia made it a question, but it sounded more like an order.

“Only if you’re sure,” Allison said, because she couldn’t help it.

“Goddamn right I’m sure,” Jamia grinned. “Now, Dewees will pick you up on his way tomorrow morning. I know you’re a badass, but I’m afraid you’ll break an ankle in those boots you wear. Cute as hell, but baby, it’s fucking winter in Jersey. God, I sound like such a mother hen. Jesus. And no you don’t have to bring anything. Just yourself and maybe a couple changes of clothes and something to sleep in if you want. You can just camp out at the house.”

“That’s too much,” Allison protested.

“Family,” Jamia said pointedly, leaving room for no argument. “And you will be whether you decide to go back and be the figurehead to a family of supernatural hunters or work for S.H.I.E.L.D or just be a historian. Our home is yours. So do that thing where you graciously accept it and bring your silliest pajamas.”

“Okay,” Allison said and couldn’t help but smile a watery smile. Jamia squeezed her shoulder and got up to putter around the shoppe.

Allison could admit that it was nice to have some place that felt like home again.


End file.
